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Sherman, set the Wayback machine for the second week of November, 1973. The Grateful Dead are on a roll…yes, again! The summer had seen the band playing triumphant mega-shows with the Allman Brothers at RFK Stadium in D.C. and at Watkins Glenn in upstate New York. With their popularity seemingly still escalating by the month, fall tours took them to various East Coast haunts and all over the Midwest. On October 15, they released Wake of the Flood, their first album on their own independent record label, and copies were flying out of stores coast to coast. So the mood in the band was WAY UP when their incredibly busy schedule brought them home for three shows at Winterland in San Francisco November 9, 10 and 11—before they set off again for points East.

Winterland always brought out the best—and the beast—in the band. Located across Geary Boulevard from the Fillmore Auditorium, the one-time home of the Ice Follies had hosted dozens of amazing rock shows since Bill Graham started putting on shows there in the late ’60s. It’s where the top tier of Bay Area bands would get together occasionally for marathon shows, and it’s where the most popular out-of-town acts—from The Doors, to Hendrix, to The Who, to the Rolling Stones—would play in the era before faceless sports arenas became an unfortunate fact of concert-going life. But nobody played Winterland as often as the Dead. By the time they’d trucked their ever-expanding sound system to the venue for their November ’73 shows, they’d already logged 31 concerts there—and there would be another 28 eventful Dead nights at Winterland before the old place was closed after the Dead’s New Year’s Eve show in 1978, and eventually reduced to rubble to make way for condos. Sure, the 5,000-capacity hall was acoustically challenging and a little frayed on the edges. But with its narrow open floor, shallow lower balcony that encircled the entire venue, its deeper back balcony chill zone, and serpentine walkways between floors, it was a tremendously fun and entertaining place to see a show—especially a Dead show.

Winterland 1973: The Complete Recordings captures the Dead during one of their peak years and absolutely at the top of their game. Spread over nine discs, it includes every note of three complete consecutive shows (save for the encore of November 9, which was not recorded), so there’s plenty here to satisfy every fan: magnificent jams on “Dark Star” (which sprawls to 35 completely compelling minutes!), “Playing in the Band,” “Eyes of the World,” the still-new “Weather Report Suite” and more; kick-ass rockers of every variety (“Sugar Magnolia,” “Casey Jones,” “Johnny B. Goode,” “Truckin’,” et al); haunting ballads including “China Doll,” “Stella Blue” and “To Lay Me Down”; a truly spectacular “China Cat”; and the first of just three versions ever of the dazzling sequence of “Playing in the Band” > “Uncle John’s Band” > “Morning Dew” > “Uncle John’s” reprise > “Playing” reprise. (For a complete listing of the contents of the nine discs, go here.)

All the music here was drawn from Grateful Dead crew member Kidd Candelario’s crystal clear and wonderfully present 2-track soundboard reels of the shows, and enhanced by the mastering work of the always reliable sonic wizard Jeffrey Norman, who used all sorts of arcane processes to bring it all into the glorious world of HDCD sound. This stuff will rattle your bones! The beautifully designed box also comes with a colorful booklet containing scads of great photos and a fine essay by Grateful Dead historian Dennis McNally.

We like to think of Winterland 1973 as being part of the noble tradition established by the ecstatically received Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings, and as a precursor for other complete-run boxes to come. So clear out a chunk of space in the ol’ CD case, ’cause this mutha’ is a BIG ONE!

Don’t delay! You can order Winterland 1973: The Complete Recordings right now by clicking here !

(To help get you in the mood, you can preview some of the music on the Winterland 1973 box by clicking here. And to give you a little glimpse of what Winterland was like, check out this video montage with audio from the ’73 shows and visuals from The Grateful Dead Movie, shot at Winterland a year later!)

Comments

This set is incredible. The sound quality is superb. This is a great period for the band. They play a great selection of songs and they play them well. Bobby's guitar (which in later years is often drowned out) comes through. Also, Bobby has by this point really established himself as a songwriter and a singer. Weather Report Suite played in its entirety is incredible. Garcia has begun his transition to the very light handed approach that would characterize his playing for many years. Yet, he still tears into a lot of the songs with the abandon of the earliest days. There are more highlights than can be mentioned. Truckin' on Saturday is as good as I've ever heard. I'm surprised by the bland reception these shows have received in some of the quotes here. I have quite a few shows from around and before this era but very enthusiastically recommend this set.

That was not all i said and its taken out of context..point is a 100 dollare
box set should be for a really special run- Weather Report SUITE on
all 3 CDs in a row--well there is 10 bucks off right there..the box sets you
site are from major events for those bands-one could argue this was but
it was not planned as an event as say RADIO CITY WAS or Warfield
etc. Now I am not making light of the MUISC which is what I want but
i do not care that much about hoe nicely the liner notes have the set lists
etc. Frankly you sound like a suit yourself..I love the Dead and they have
a right to make money but i think this should be priced about 69 bucks...
sorry dude-100 is a lot to hear a 3 show run....its a nice idea over say
the TOURS clips of best of the tour...but its stretching it...my vote is not
in yet as I DID ORDER IT schmucko so its on its way-there is virtually nothing
they sell I have not bought from them.....so NOW I AM GREEDY?
you are a clown dude! I sent you a PM but it really warranted a reply--do not dis
your fellow head when he did not flame anyone other than question the concept/price...

"if the Thunder don't get ya then the lightning will!"- The Wheel
"Gonna find out something only dead men know" - Silvio
Class of Red Rocks '79...
Life without the Dead is not life...and so we carry on...

Many thanks, Zaorish, for the info. I knew the jam in China/Rider had a Feelin Goovy vibe to it, and have heard it in other jams, but wasn't sure if it was MLB or not.... I will definitely keep my ears open and check out Airplane's MLB...
Thanks again

Well after finally listening to the whole thing -- amazing. A few hissy sounding spots but I can't complain. Amazing box. Amazing CD sleeves. Great JOB!
If I had one complaint, Weather Report Suite is played on all three nights -- yes I am nitpicking and I know it was being worked in because it was new BUT...... just one "He's Gone" or "NFA -->GDTRFB ->NFA" would have been an excellent addition (if they played it). Oh yeah -- what about the "Other One" - with that hard loud base sound it would have cracked the windshield of my car!

Would love a 76 or 77 box like this. Although I love 72 - especially the Euro shows, I don't think there is much left of that year to release anyway.

There was never a Mind Left Body Jam between China and Rider. It was always a Feelin' Groovy Jam. This is one of those things that GDP never seems to get right.

Feelin' Groovy jam is a sort of bouncy, mellow descending chord pattern, like from the Paul Simon song "Feelin' Groovy" where Paul Simon sings "I got no deeds to do, no promises to keep..."

Mind Left Body Jam is a distinctly different sounding chord progression that varies in speed but tends to have a much more mournful, wistful sound. It usually comes at the end of a 72 or 73 Dark Star. It is exactly based off of the Jefferson Airplane song "Your Mind Has Left Your Body", and it's clear if you listen to that, because Jerry was the one who played guitar for them on that album (Baron von Tollbooth and the Chrome Nun).

A 10-cd vault release (of previously unreleased material) with extensive booklet, lovingly commissioned artwork and extras sets a greed record for the suits? Give me a @#$@ing break. Let's look at what some other artists charge on average for THEIR boxes, shall we?

The Band/ The Last Waltz 4-cd box ~ $ 60.00
Fairport Convention/ BBC 4-cd box ~ $ 80.00
The Doors/ The Doors Box set 4-cd ~ $ 70.00
Pink Floyd/ Oh By the Way 14-cd ~ $ 250.00 (for studio rehash stuff/NOTHING vault)
Pearl Jam/ Live at the Gorge 7-cd ~ $ 50.00---ok, this is a steal....but no booklet, not a SINGLE liner note or a SINGLE PHOTO!!! Just the cd's and the track list on the back of the box
Talking Heads/ 8-cd $ 140.00
David Bowie/ Sound & Vision 4cd ~ $ 70.00
The Stones/ London years singles collection 2cd ~ $ 40.00

You guys don't even know how good you have it. I wouldn't blame the Grateful Dead if they never released another #$@ing thing for us. Talk about greed.

I mean guys-- I am sure this is awesome- Rolling Stone said "Incredible Jerry Licks" so how can I not buy but 100 clams? I mean 3 full shows a box set--even the most incredible run I am not sure I want all 3 nights for 100 bucks..how about the best show for 30 bucks?
I doubtless will buy it but its a vote of faith to get a 10 disc set from the same run...
I have never had issue with charging for high quality shows we used to get free from the board archives but 100 for one set of shows even seems to set a greed record for whoever the SUITS are in charge of this...and believe me I have no doubt its an awesome set...
but i could get an iPod almost for this much.....alas...time to start cracking the piggy bank
and praying I am happier than the box set of all the studio albums I bought....the best part of that- the bonus of Beyond Description..

"if the Thunder don't get ya then the lightning will!"- The Wheel
"Gonna find out something only dead men know" - Silvio
Class of Red Rocks '79...
Life without the Dead is not life...and so we carry on...

On the bonus disc Phil reaches DEEEEEP into the pocket. Your molars will rattle... and if you live near any fault lines watch out. Seek cover in a basement or under a door frame, and be sure to stay away from windows... Stella Blue is especially sweet. Phil is all over the place. That's as far as I got last night before my brains turned into gravy.

Hey now... is that the infamous "MInd Left Body" jam the boys insert between China and Rider? Can someone confirm?

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